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Lawsuit claims car wiring too tasty to rodents

Posted at 11:10 AM, Feb 07, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-08 20:23:46-05

Car owners across the country are getting into their cars these days, turning the key and finding their engine won't start.

The hard-to-believe reason? An animal ate their car's wiring.

Thousands of car owners in recent years have ended up like Woody and Mary Herald, who talked about how animals chewed through their car's wiring two years ago. 

"On the ground we found this connector with six inches of wire on either end of it, that the varmints had chewed into completely," Woody Harris said.

Now, a class action lawsuit claims millions of Toyota cars, trucks and SUVs contain wiring that is attractive to animals like squirrels and mice.

Honda settled a similar suit a few years ago.

This new suit claims Toyota uses soy-based wiring which is better for the environment, but is as appealing to critters as wiring made out of peanut butter.

Repairs can be costly

And from the "doesn't that stink" file: the high cost of repairs.

Replacing under hood wiring can cost up to $2,000, mechanics say.

If you park near mice-filled fields, they suggest products likeMouse Blocker rodent tape for wires, or a spray-on or wipe-on product likeVehicle Rodent Defense.

If you see any evidence of rodents under the hood of your car, you should buy a repellent immediately. before they cause hundreds of dollars of damage.  That way, you don't waste your money.

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“Don't Waste Your Money” is a registered trademark of Scripps Media, Inc. (“Scripps”). John Matarese reports on deals and scams so you Don't Waste Your Money. "Like" John Matarese onFacebookk and follow him on Twitter @JohnMatarese.

 

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